Easy Chocolate Chip Cookies with Only 5 Ingredients

These easy chocolate chip cookies only require 5 ingredients! With only butter, flour, sugar, egg, and chocolate chips you can make great chocolate chip cookies!

Cookies equal comfort. Especially warm right out of the oven eating them straight off the cookie sheet. It just feels like warmth, love, and home. And while I love fancy cookies, sometimes I just want easy chocolate chip cookies.

I don’t think there is any secret by now that I have a certain obsession affection for cookies. Especially the kind mentioned above. I have this memory of visiting my aunt in Alabama when I was very young. I needed to take a bath and I was protesting. (I apparently hated being clean.) My aunt told me “if you take a bath I will have warm chocolate chip cookies for you when you get out…” Sold. That’s all it took. Bribery via warm chocolate chip cookies and I’m diving into the tub.

I think sometimes people who don’t bake very often do not realize that cookies can really be a simple thing to make. You really only need 5 ingredients to make fantastic easy chocolate chip cookies and I bet most of us already have them in our pantry! I created this simple chocolate chip cookie recipe that comes together quickly and uses things that you probably only have in your pantry!

#1: Butter: The fat in the butter is important for creating tenderness and flavor. The moisture from the butter is also necessary to hold the cookie together and to create some tenderness when it heats in the oven and steam is released. This recipe is created for the use of regular butter, salted or unsalted. You can substitute margarine or vegan butter, but results will vary.

#2: Sugar: Sugar is for the purposes of sweetness as well as structure in the cookie. Brown sugar gives the cookies chew and moisture. Granulated sugar will not work for this recipe. You must use light or dark brown sugar.

#3: Egg: A large egg is preferable. This recipe has been made successfully with other vegan egg substitutions (such as Ener-G egg replacer) however, results will vary. Baking is science! When you alter recipes the results will also be altered. Check out my recipe for 6 ingredient vegan chocolate chip cookies if you are looking to veganize these!

#4: Flour: All-purpose, self-rising, or bread. All of them work! Because this recipe does not add salt or any leaveners you can use self-rising flour in this recipe. To measure flour, lightly spoon it into measuring cups (do not pack down!) and level the cup off with a knife.

#5: Chocolate!: Chips or chunks. Milk, bittersweet, or Dark. I guess you could even do white, but don’t offer me any (who am I kidding, give me one!)

Optional Add ins: If you have the ingredients on hand you can also add 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt. These things will up the flavor and texture of the cookies. If you do have them, I say go ahead and add them!

That’s it! 5 ingredients: Butter, sugar, egg, flour, chocolate. You don’t NEED vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, or salt. If you have the time and have all of those things on hand, then great. But this is that recipe for a quick, throw it together, I need cookies in my mouth in less than 15 minutes, kind of recipe. Easy chocolate chip cookies win! Go make them. It is time.

Note: The point of this recipe is that it is very stripped down and simplified. They are simple and perfect in that way. If you have the time and want to try more over the top cookies, check out this post for my Best Chocolate Chip Cookies.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl with a hand mixer) cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. (NOTE: if you do not have a mixer you can do this with a wooden spoon. Beat together the butter and sugar until completely combined and fluffy. This will take some time.)

Add the egg and vanilla (if using) to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until incorporated.

Stir in the flour, salt (if using), and the chocolate chips just until combined. Do not mix for a long time after adding the flour, it will create cookies that are too tough or cakey.

Scoop into mounds about 2 TBSP each onto ungreased cookie sheets (you can use a silpat or parchment paper to line your sheets). Do not put more than 9 cookies per sheet.

Bake at 350ºF until just set on the edges and middle still looks a little bit undercooked. About 8-12 minutes. (these cookies do not brown as much as other cookies because of the lack of baking soda or baking powder.)

Allow to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing. Cookies will continue to cook on the sheets for a few minutes.

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Comments 109

I was looking for something easy to make while traveling and I was really impressed by these, they are easy and so very delicious. The short ingredient list was great (I did add a bit of vanilla and salt) and I substituted 1/4 cup of the flour with good quality cocoa and put white chocolate bits in instead, and they still turned out as warm gooey centred deliciousness. Thank you!

AWESUUUUUUM! We just got three feet of snow so what else is there to do but make cookies!?! This was the easiest, best tasting chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever tasted! Chewy in the center, crispy on the outside, with the correct ratio of salty and sweet. Just pulled them out the oven…hopefully my family will get to taste them. Thank you!

ok so my team was having a bake sale and it was 10pm and I needed some fast cookies. The only thing i changed was using white sugar. the cookies literally turned into pancakes and spilled all over the oven. they looked nothing like the picture and when i finally managed to scrape them off the pan, i just had a pile of baked dough and chocolate chips. tasted amazing though. 3/10 would not recommend.

Sorry these did not work out for you. This recipe specifically needs brown sugar as stated in the post. White sugar will not work as it is less hygroscopic than brown sugar and will end in results as you described. If you do decide to try it again, please use brown sugar for more desirable results!

I’ve tried this recipe twice, and with the same outcome. They spread way too much in the oven, turns more into pancakes than cookies. I think what this recipe needs is some baking soda and also the dough NEEDS to be chilled. Recipe 2/10

Hi Jaundell,
I’m sorry this hasn’t worked out for you! This is a tested recipe that has been successful for me many times and many other people. Question, do you live at high altitute? That could cause you spreading. It also sounds like possibly you did not measure your flour correctly. Too little flour could cause more spreading as well. The dough should not need to chill unless you live in a very hot climate and your kitchen is very hot. Then yes, it may need some chilling time.

I made these tonight with my 3 year old. The recipe is SO easy and she loved helping. I live at high altitude and followed your recipe to a tee plus added vanilla and baking powder. These cookies were perfect!! Even fluffier then I thought they would be. Thanks for posting!

I messed these up… like I really fumbled this one, I was softening the butter and compleatly melted it…. I had rock solid brown sugar so I broke off a few chunks and disolved it in the now liquid butter, then beat in the egg, added a bit of salt and vanilla, guesstimated the flour and chip and stirred. I don’t know why I was such a mess with this recipe I almost always am so by the book and will measure to the last granual of sugar but what really shocked me at the end of all this…….they were amazing!! They didn’t flatten as much as expected….well they didn’t flatten at all really you could still see our fingerprints in them but they came out soft and moist on the inside and all around fantastic!!!!!!

That’s because you substituted the type of sugar used. There is a reason why the recipe called for brown sugar. I understand that you were in a hurry, but in order for them to be good, the recipe has to be followed.

I just made these. I made about 16. I could’ve made them smaller but it’s only me and I usually let cookies and stuff go to waste which I hate to do.

Next time I make these I’m going to add less sugar because I’ve been trying to cut back on sugar and things have been tasting overly sweet to me.

These cookies came out great!! I added 1/8 of baking powder and a sprinkle of baking soda and these came out brown and soft!

This is the way I like to bake. It took less time to make. I didn’t have to chill in the fridge for hours and I’ve already had two, hehe! Thanks for this recipe.

Ignore those who substituted brown sugar for white sugar, didn’t measure right, and claimed these have to be chilled, and for this to be runny. I still don’t see how this happened unless they used water instead of flour. I stuck to the recipe but only added baking soda and baking powder and they came out great!

hello there,
I just made this recipe and it turned out better than I expected! I didn’t have vanilla essence so I added a sprinkle of custard powder for flavor. Crazy but true. I also only had 3/4 cup of chocolate chips, so I made up the last quarter with mixed seeds and broken almonds. I am so impressed by the result, I will definitely be make no these again. Thank you so much for the recipe!

These were soggy and never cooked all the way through. They spread out like pancakes. I followed the recipe exactly as written and do not live at a high altitude. Very disappointing since I was looking for a recipe to make on a very low budget, and I’ve now used the ingredients for a recipe that doesn’t work.

Based on the fact that they spread out too much and didn’t cook through, it definitely sounds like your oven wasn’t hot enough. Ovens can vary greatly in their actual temperature compared to what the temperature is set at. It might be a good idea to try baking them 25 degrees or even 50 degrees hotter and watch them closely to see if that helps. It is a very common problem with ovens. If the temperature is too low, the butter will melt before the outside of the cookie sets resulting in cookie that spreads too much.

I made these and they turned out amazing thanks so much for the recipe !!! Bc I didn’t have certain ingredients at home and this recipe worked out perfectly for me !!! And taste amazing will use again thanks!!!

So i searched for a recipe that did not require baking soda due to the taste it leaves on food. This recipe worked great! I did added vanilla, baking powder and salt. I would have smashed the dough due to the rise and not spread but these chunky cookies was the perfect resolution to a sweet tooth at midnight. Thanks for posting this you have to follow the directions for best results.

Hi Madison! Glad these worked for you. I specify not to use granulated sugar because I haven’t had as consistent results with the granulated sugar. They tend to spread more for people and become too flat. Glad to know you had success though!

Today i cooked these cookies AGAIN!! And what an easy whip up they were… Even after mistakedly adding 2 eggs and 1/ 4 more flour and brown sugar. They are not as sweet but rich in texture and good. I do add baking powder and vanilla extract. After eating 2 to4 i am so satisfied and my family. Sure will share this with the world!

Terrific! Love the way you explained the science of the ingredients in baking and love the simplicity of 5 ingredients. The option of kicking the taste up is simple, too. First recipe of yours and I’m already big fan of your style! Thanks!

I have made these multiple times and they always come out perfect! My hubby loves some chopped pecans mixed in too. Today i accidentally put an extra egg and forgot any leavening agents, soda or powder. They still turned out delicious and were fluffy cakey, but crisp on the edges. Normally I follow the recipe and add in soda, vanilla, a splash of almond extract and baking powder for a crisp, flat, buttery cookie. Thanks for this simple recipe! P.s. i tried to give this five stars but it wouldn’t let me!

I made these with the optional ingredients. They came out perfectly! I scooped 1 1/2tb per cookie, as they were for a party, and made one tray per the recipe and then added 1/4c cocoa and 1tb milk. Delicious and not too sweet.

I have been making these cookies about once a month since I found the recipe over a year ago. I usually add the baking powder and soda. I always add cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. They are always fantastic!

AMAZING! Easy and delicious! I didn’t have white sugar so googled cookies without white sugar and gave it a try – with chopped up hershey kisses too since I didn’t have chocolate chips. Great recipe – not too sweet or rich. I didn’t watch the video and followed the recipe – I measured 2 tbsp of dough and only made 10 cookies – I may have messed that part up but who cares as long as they taste good.

I’ve been looking for an easy chocolate chip cookie recipe and found this one. Actually used vanilla, salt, baking powder and soda as well (have never made cookies without those ingredients before so didn’t want to start not using them now :D) so thank you for adding their measurements in. I’m very particular about my choc chip cookies and will hardly ever buy any premades as I like having more cookie than choc chips.

So I made the batter and portioned them out on the sheet and added 5 or 6 mint choc chips to each cookie and folded a bit of the dough over them, baked them for 10 minutes and they came out perfect. I mean perfect! My bf is a bit of a picky eater and he said these were perfect. We had them with cold milk and a movie.

Thanks for posting this recipe! I’ve bookmarked it and will be making more of them in the future 😀

I tried this recipe and added the baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla. The cookies turned out great. They have a very homemade look and are the perfect sweetness, not to mention they were fast and easy. I will be using this recipe more often!

I used all of the recommended ingredients minus salt and vanilla extract as i didn’t have any and baked for 8 minutes exactly and they turned out amazing. Whoever says this recipe didn’t work didn’t follow the directions these are chewy and kept their shape really well only growing a tiny bit from the original drop shape of the dough

I am making these right now and they are coming out wonderfully!! They are cooling as I type. Did not add chocolate chips to half of them seeing as I gave up chocolate for lent, but they still came out great! Will definitely save this recipe. I used the vanilla extract with it. Thanks!! Definitely recommend.

I did a routine event for about 70, and the morning of, needed ‘nut free’ cookies for 20 kids. Saw this, it appeared quick, easy, added the baking powder and soda… Unbelievable! I rec’d more comments of the cookies for the kids than the meal. I have requests for us to make just these cookies now. So simple, yet outstanding. Thank you.

I normally don’t bother to leave comments or reviews, unless the product is amazing.

This is amazing!! I’ve used this recipe about four times now! People having a problem with this recipe should really check to make sure that they’re following it to a T; check your oven temp, because they all vary; make sure your ingredients like baking soda and powder aren’t really old; and your altitude level.

I followed this exactly, adding in the baking soda, baking powder and vanilla extract. (Cookies without the extract aren’t real cookies!) I used light brown sugar. These are big, fluffy and my favorite texture: crunchy on the bottom and outside, soft on the inside.

Thank you for this recipe, Bettie, because it’s not only simple, but my absolute favorite now! 🙂

These were not flavorful – should have added optional ingredients. My grandkids did not like them. They did not have any sweet flavor. Will try with optional ingredients listed above recipe. I did add vanilla extract and salt, however.

I typically use a different recipe but as a nanny to a 4 year old, I was seeking something simple, interactive for her and not too sweet. This was it ! Did 1TBS hand scoops and baked for 10 mins, made 16 cookies. Pretty happy.

I made these for the first time. Instead normal flour I used Schär’s gluten free flour and for brown sugar I used Bellington’s “dark brown soft” sugar. I didn’t put 2 TBSP I put 1, because 2 seemed too large. When I took them out of the oven, their texture was let’s say interesting – like kinetic sand. That was probably because the sugar has exact kinect sand texture. I left them in the fridge for the night and wow- they are very good!

This is my new go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe! So easy, flexible, and delicious.
I usually add all the add-ins as I have them in my pantry. I also add 1 t of cornstarch for softness.
I keep a batch of unbaked cookies in my freezer — they are our “emergency cookies”… You know, for cookie emergencies

I love these! So simple and easy. My boyfriend asks to overload them with chocolate chips. I don’t mind that (^_^) Fun to throw anything in there. Peanuts, pecans, M & Ms. Even baked the dough into 6 small bowl shapes (no chips added) and poured in an cinnamon apple saute. Really a multi purpose dough.

These are the best chocolate cookies I’ve ever had!! I used all of the ingredients. So soft and delicious. My family requests that we always have a batch ready to eat. Lol. To make more at a time, can I just double the ingredients?

Love how easy this recipe is and the results for me were awesome. Great time saver for making cookies that will be eaten quickly by my two 4 year olds (twins) and my husband. I just added the baking soda optional ingredient and spooned them out by 1 tbsp . I had to adjust my baking time as well to 13 minutes because of my gas stove. They turned out chewy and perfect, lightly brown. Thank you for posting this!

Sorry to hear these didn’t work out for you! Sounds like you may have measured your flour incorrectly, resulting in too much flour in your dough. This is a common baking mistake. You want to fluff up your flour and lightly spoon it into you measuring cup and level off the cup. Do not pack the flour down into the cup. 1 & 1/4 cup of flour measured this way is the perfect amount for this recipe and the cookies will be sweet! Hope this helps!

Made these today in a sweet tooth pinch. They were disappointing and didn’t come out like the video or picture suggests they would. They came out like a cross between a biscuit and shortbread cookie. Tasted ok but nothing like a chocolate chip cookie should. I wouldn’t make it again. It is also weird that I can only give this four or five stars. I’ve tried giving it two and it just fills in at four or five for me. So no official rate, but I give it two stars for being edible.

Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out for you. Thank you for the feedback. This is a tested recipe with many many successes so I want to help you figure out what may have gone wrong here!

The way you describe the texture of the cookie, it really sounds like you had too much flour in your batter. This is a common baking mistake. You want to fluff up your flour and very lightly spoon it into your measuring cups and level it off without packing any of the flour down. You also want to be careful not to mix too much as this can cause your cookies to be too dry as well.

I also just tried to give the recipe a rating myself, and it is letting me rate it at lower than a 4 star rating no problem. Possibly your browser needs updating? But the rating system is working.

Hello! I just made these cookies and they turned out wonderful! I followed the recipe. I live in high altitude place so I added the optional extras ( baking soda, powder) I baked 2 separate batches the first one I baked it for 1 minute too long so the second one was perfect only 10 minutes. Thank you so much! Now I will only make these cookies!!!

Dear Baker Bettie,
Thanks so much for this super easy, reliable recipe. My students in Taiwan loved making these cookies 🙂
In order to make it slightly healthier, would it be okay to substitute the brown sugar with Coconut Sugar? Coconut Sugar is more powdery than brown sugar, so do you think it would work? In your opinion, how should I alter the recipe for this change of sugar?
Much appreciated!

BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE OUT THERE!!!! basic, simple, quick, and exquisite. I never “post,” don’t care to take the time to, but waaaaaoooow! thank you so much for your recipe, Baker Bettie!!!
ps… cool profile pic! <3

Thank you so much for this recipie . Saved my face when the brownies i made turned out be a utter failure .
The cookies are absolutely yummy . I added blue food colouring too turned out great . Keep up the great work !

Just whipped these up, used bread flour and took advice to ad baking powder, soda, vanilla and salt. Still a super simple and easy recipe and turned out ahhhhhhmazing! Yes they spread while baking, that made them even more pleasant. Big gooey yet crispy edge cookies, perfection!!

I made these (almost) exactly how you said, except I substituted the egg for a tablespoon of ground flax and 3T water. I did use the cup of chocolate chips like it called for, but I had mini choc. chips and it seemed that the cookie was dare I say too chocolatey* haha. But it was good other than that part! Thank you!!

It’s so interesting that I always feel that way when I use mini chips in cookie recipes! I think maybe because the chocolate is more dispersed throughout. I always decrease the amount when using mini chips!